Read Online Bless the Child by Cathy Cash Spellman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cathy Cash Spellman
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secrets are safe, because they aren’t in your mind, they’re in you heart. Okay?”
“Okay.” Cody bit her lower lip nervously, something she always did when she was frightened.
“Now, here comes the hard part, sweetheart. I can’t take you home with me today.” Cody’s face fell apart and tears squeezed free. “No . . . no . . . listen to me, baby! You must listen . I am going to help you, Cody. I give you my word of honor I won’t let anyone hurt you, do you understand? I’ve never ever broken my promise to you, have I? Not once since you were born. Not in anything little and not in anything big. Oh, please baby, tell me you understand that!” Maggie and Cody clung to each other on the beach, their tears turning icy in the cold wind.
“The law says I can’t take you today, sweetheart.” Cody’s arms tightened around Maggie’s neck, terror in the gesture. “But I promise you I will find a way to make you safe again. I just need to talk to some people who’ll know how to do this, and it might take me a little while.”
Cody was crying hard now, the sobs reverberating through Maggie’s coat. But it was silent, unnatural crying for a child. Soundless and despairing.
Maggie could see Jenna and Ghania coming toward them on the strand.
“Listen to me, Cody, they’re coming, so I have to say this fast. I will be back for you. No matter what anyone tells you. I will come back to get you. Because I love you. More than anything else in this world! And you love me. Nothing on earth can change that. Everything we’ve said, and everything we are, is in our hearts now, and no one—especially Ghania—can see it, or know anything about it. Do you understand that?”
Cody snuffled and nodded.
“We have to be brave now, Cody, for each other. Remember. I love you. All there is. And I’ll be back . I swear to God, I will.”
Maggie scooped up the child and held her in a fierce embrace, deliberately walking past the Amah without a word.
CHAPTER 9
M aggie drummed her short fingernails on the desk top, at 8:00 A.M. the next morning, and tried to quell her agitation; she’d been up half the night trying to figure out what to do. There had to be someone who could help her get to the bottom of this morass.
Could it be that one of Jenna’s friends from years ago might still be in touch with her? Maybe there was somebody from the past Jenna’d want to show off her new life to. Maggie rifled the Rolodex impatiently, searching for she-didn’t-know-who. She dialed six phone numbers without a successful response . . . no one had seen Jenna in years, or if they had, they wouldn’t say. Discouraged, she tried one final possibility.
Cheri Adams had been with Jenna in the last rehab; they’d gotten pretty close there, and Maggie had liked the girl, enough to enlist her aid in searching for Jenna when she first disappeared. She’d even stayed in contact with Cheri for a while, after the search proved futile, but then had lost touch, until one day she and Cody had bumped into the girl in Washington Square Park.
Maggie dialed her number, afraid to hope. Cheri sounded sober when she answered, subdued and straight. Had Cheri seen Jenna recently? She asked. Yes. Jenna doesn’t seem like herself, Maggie said. Do you know if there’s anything wrong? There was a significant pause at the other end of the phone, as Cheri juggled loyalties.
“I’ve seen her twice, Mrs. O’Connor, since she’s living in Greenwich,” she said finally. “She wanted to show off that incredible house and that weird guy she’s married to.” Again the hesitancy.
“I think she’s using, Mrs. O’Connor. Big time,” Cheri explained, her voice troubled, uncertain. “I tried to get her to do something about it, but she really thinks she’s got the world by the tail. I guess she’s gotta do what she’s gotta do, so I didn’t push it. But she said some things that
“Okay.” Cody bit her lower lip nervously, something she always did when she was frightened.
“Now, here comes the hard part, sweetheart. I can’t take you home with me today.” Cody’s face fell apart and tears squeezed free. “No . . . no . . . listen to me, baby! You must listen . I am going to help you, Cody. I give you my word of honor I won’t let anyone hurt you, do you understand? I’ve never ever broken my promise to you, have I? Not once since you were born. Not in anything little and not in anything big. Oh, please baby, tell me you understand that!” Maggie and Cody clung to each other on the beach, their tears turning icy in the cold wind.
“The law says I can’t take you today, sweetheart.” Cody’s arms tightened around Maggie’s neck, terror in the gesture. “But I promise you I will find a way to make you safe again. I just need to talk to some people who’ll know how to do this, and it might take me a little while.”
Cody was crying hard now, the sobs reverberating through Maggie’s coat. But it was silent, unnatural crying for a child. Soundless and despairing.
Maggie could see Jenna and Ghania coming toward them on the strand.
“Listen to me, Cody, they’re coming, so I have to say this fast. I will be back for you. No matter what anyone tells you. I will come back to get you. Because I love you. More than anything else in this world! And you love me. Nothing on earth can change that. Everything we’ve said, and everything we are, is in our hearts now, and no one—especially Ghania—can see it, or know anything about it. Do you understand that?”
Cody snuffled and nodded.
“We have to be brave now, Cody, for each other. Remember. I love you. All there is. And I’ll be back . I swear to God, I will.”
Maggie scooped up the child and held her in a fierce embrace, deliberately walking past the Amah without a word.
CHAPTER 9
M aggie drummed her short fingernails on the desk top, at 8:00 A.M. the next morning, and tried to quell her agitation; she’d been up half the night trying to figure out what to do. There had to be someone who could help her get to the bottom of this morass.
Could it be that one of Jenna’s friends from years ago might still be in touch with her? Maybe there was somebody from the past Jenna’d want to show off her new life to. Maggie rifled the Rolodex impatiently, searching for she-didn’t-know-who. She dialed six phone numbers without a successful response . . . no one had seen Jenna in years, or if they had, they wouldn’t say. Discouraged, she tried one final possibility.
Cheri Adams had been with Jenna in the last rehab; they’d gotten pretty close there, and Maggie had liked the girl, enough to enlist her aid in searching for Jenna when she first disappeared. She’d even stayed in contact with Cheri for a while, after the search proved futile, but then had lost touch, until one day she and Cody had bumped into the girl in Washington Square Park.
Maggie dialed her number, afraid to hope. Cheri sounded sober when she answered, subdued and straight. Had Cheri seen Jenna recently? She asked. Yes. Jenna doesn’t seem like herself, Maggie said. Do you know if there’s anything wrong? There was a significant pause at the other end of the phone, as Cheri juggled loyalties.
“I’ve seen her twice, Mrs. O’Connor, since she’s living in Greenwich,” she said finally. “She wanted to show off that incredible house and that weird guy she’s married to.” Again the hesitancy.
“I think she’s using, Mrs. O’Connor. Big time,” Cheri explained, her voice troubled, uncertain. “I tried to get her to do something about it, but she really thinks she’s got the world by the tail. I guess she’s gotta do what she’s gotta do, so I didn’t push it. But she said some things that
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